Attachment for knitting-needles.



H. W. GADDESS.

ATTACHMENT FOR KNITTING NEEDLES. APPLICATION FILED DEC.|9. I917.

Patented Mar. 25, 1919.

H Gadoew.-

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY W. GADDESS, 0F BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD T0 4 VERNON KELLY.

ATTACHMENT FOR KNITTING-NEEDLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 25, 1919.

Application filed December 19, 1917. Serial No. 207,878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY IV. GADDESS, a'.

citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore, and State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Attachments for Knitting-Needles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is an attachment for knitting needles, and one of its objects is the provision of an article through the medium of which the unfinished work or loops upon the needles may be held against accidental displacement when the work is put aside whereby to prevent the unraveling of the finished portion of the work.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an article of the above stated character which shall also be adapted to connect together both needles used in' knitting as well as prevent the accidental displacement of the unfinished work or loops on the needles when the work is put aside,- whereby to prevent the loops or unfinished work on the needles from becoming accidentally displaced therefrom and unraveling the finished portion of the work.

Another object of this invention is the provision of an article of this character which will be simple, practical and comparatively inexpensive in construction and one that can be manufactured and sold at a lowcost.

With these and other objects in View, the invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described and set forth in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawing:

Figure l is a side elevation of a pair of knitting needles illustrating the application of my improved attachment.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the attachment as made in accordance with this invention.

Figs. 4, 5, and 6 respectively illustrate a side elevation, a section, and aperspective view of a modified form of my invention.

therein.

. side elevation and a fragmentary section of another modified form of this invention;

Figs. 12 and 13 respectively illustrate a. further modification of my invention.

Fig. 14 illustrates a perspective view of the attachment adapted to be appliable to either of the forms illustrated in Figs. 10 and 12.

Fig. 15 is a sectional view of another modified form of "this invention.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawing.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral 5 indicates a pair of knitting needles of the type now in general use and to which my improved attachment is appliable.

My attachment comprises an annular elastic member 6 having a pair of relatively spaced needle shank receiving openings 7 The elastic member 6 is formed of any material, such as metal, fiber, rubber or the like, or other suitable material adapted for this purpose, and it is to be understood that the member may be of any configuration so as to readily conform to the'configuration of all kinds of knitting needles. The elastic member 6 has formed upon one side an attaching flange 8 which surrounds and is concentrically related to one of the openings 7 in said member. The attaching flange 8 provides means whereby the elastic member 6 may be readily secured to the head of the needle so as to permit it to be held against displacement therefrom.

In applying my attachment to a needle it is only necessary to insert the pointed end of the shank of one needle through one of the openings 7 and the opening surrounded by the attaching flange 8 until the head of this respective shank is in contact with the flange 8. It is then only necessary to arrange the head within the flange and the member is secured thereto. It is to be understood that each pair of needles is to be equipped with the member. When the work 4 is put aside unfinished, it is only necessary to insert the pointed end of each needle shank through the other opening 7 of each member and the needles are secured together against loss and the loops or unfinished work on one or both of the needle shanks is held against accidental displacement and unraveling of that portion of the finished work.

In the modification illustrated in Figs. 4, 5 and 6, respectively, there is shown an elastic member 6 which is provided with a pair of needle shank receiving openings 9, and the openings 9 are to be of a diameter so as to ermit them to be frictionally engaged wit the shank of the needle and thus prevent the member from being accidentally displaced from the shank. In the application of the improved modified form illustrated in the above figures it is only necessary to insert the shank of the needle therethrough until the head of the needle engages one side of the member 6. The use and operation of this modification is identical with the preferred form.

In the modification illustrated in Figs. 7,

I 8 and 9, respectively, the elastic member is designated by the numeral 10 and it comprises a pair of spaced openings 11, which openings are adapted to receive the shanks of the needles therethrough to permit the member 10 to be arranged thereon in the manner illustrated. This modification may be constructed of metal or other suitable material and it is provided on-one side face with an attaching flange 12 which surrounds and is concentrically related to one openings 11, as illustrated.

In the modification illustrated in Figs. 10 and 11, there is shown an elastic metal cap 13 which is'adapted to completely cover the head 14: at one end of the needle shank. The head 11 of the needle shank is so arranged within metal cap 13 that it is held against accidental displacement therefrom. The cap 13 is also provided with a peripheral annular groove 15 in which is secured a member 16. The member 16 is provided with a pair of relatively spaced openings, one of which is of suiiicient diameter to permit the head to be readily fitted over the member 13 and its wall moved into engagement with the rear wall of the annular groove 15 in the cap 13. The use of this type is identical with the preferred form, only it permits the cap 13 to be constructed of such metal as silver, gold or any other ornamentation de sired.

In the modification illustrated in Figs. 12 and 13 there .is shown a needle shank 17 provided with the usual bead head 18. The bead head 18 is provided in its periphery with an elastic annular groove 19 in which an attaching member 20- is adapted to be secured. The attaching. member 20 is provided with a pair of relatively spaced openings and one of the openings is of sufiicient diameter to permit it to be arranged in the groove 19 formed in the head 18 of the needle shank. The use of this modification is identical with the preferred form.

Referring to the modification illustrated in Fig. 14 there is shown an elastic member 21 having a pair of relatively spaced openof the mes es ings 22 and 23, respectively. The opening 22 is of sufficient diameter to permit it to be readily arranged in the groove 19 of the head 18 of the form shown in Figs. 12 and .13 or positioned within the groove 15 formed in the cap 13 in the form shown in Figs. 10 and 11, respectively.

In Fig. 15, there is shown another modified form of my invention and it embodies an elastic member 2a comprising a band 25 which has formed from one edge thereof a cap 26. This cap and band are adapted to be fitted from the head of a knitting needle to retain the latter thereto. The cap is provided centrally with an opening 27 and the purpose of this openingis to receive the pointed end of the needle shank to prevent the finished work on the shank from sliding therefrom. It will be understood that when one has finished knitting, it is only necessary to remove the cap from the headed end of the needle shank and place it over the pointed end thereof.

It will be understoodfrom the foregoing description taken in connection'with the accompanying drawing, that an attachment of this character will prevent loss of the knit ting needles when they are laid aside, due to the fact that the needles may be readily and. removably secured together and also the loops or unfinished work upon the shank of one or both of the needles will be prevented from slipping therefrom and becoming unraveled, thus obviating the necessity of re-knitting a portion of the work which has once been done.

While in the foregoing. there has been shown and described the preferred embodiments' of this invention, it is to be understood that such changes may be made in the combination and arrangement of parts as will fall Within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is: 4

1. Means adapted to removably connect a pair of knitting needles together, comprising a pair of members each provided with a pair of spaced openings, one opening of each member adapted to be arranged on the shank of the knitting needle at the head thereof and the free opening of each member adapted to receive the shank of the adjacent needle for the purpose specified.

2. Means of the character set forth adapted to removably connect a pair ofknitting needles in sidewise relation, comprising an elastic member provided with a pair of relatively spaced openings, to receive the shanks of the knitting needles and prevent the accidental displacement of the unfinished work or loops from the needle, and the unraveling of the unfinished portion of the work on the shank of one of said needles for the purpose specified.

' adapted to connect a pair of knitting needles in spaced relation to one another when not in use comprising van elastic member having a pair of spaced openings, one opening of said member adapted to be frictionally arranged on the shank of the needle at the.

head thereof and the free opening of said member receiving the shank of an adjacent needle near the point thereof for the purpose specified.

4:. Means adapted to connect a pair of knitting needles in sidewis'e spaced relation comprising an elastic member having a pair of relatively spaced openings, the diameter of said openings being such as to frictionally engage the shanks of a pair of knitting nee-' dles to prevent accidental separation of the needles when not in use.

5. Means of the class described adapted to connect a pair of knitting needles ,in spaced relation to oneanother comprising a pair of elastic bodies each having spaced openings, said openings constituting means for the'securing of the bodies to the shan'ks of the needles and the needles against accidental separation. Y Y

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

HARRY W. GADDESS. Witnesses:

' AGNES SULLIVAN,

J. T. DOWLING. 

